Alpha
by CloZack PASSION
Summary: [Chapter Four: Found and Lost] A gorgeous young SOLDIER appears to save Tifa, while Yuffie is on the road to a breakdown. Summaries blow. [PAIRINGS: CxT? CxZ? CxA? TxA? TxY? WxTF? LoL]
1. Angst

((Yay, new story! o-o; This one takes place AFTER Dirge of Cerberus and has THREE plotlines. w00t! That's right, kiddies, I beat the game a whopping two days after I bought it. T-T;; Squenix games are getting super lame as far as length goes. And this is for someone who has never played an FPS outside of Elemental Gearbolt and Point Blank, both of which used guncons. Anyways, enough whining on my part. On to the story!))

"So when's Vince and Shelke comin' back?" Yuffie questioned her friend as she sat at the bar. It was the regular morning routine. Yuffie would finally wake up around noon, sometimes closer to one, and plop down at the bar. Tifa would either be cleaning up from the night before or preparing for the upcoming one. Cloud was gone most of the time, off on deliveries again. Of course, he came back every night now, at Tifa's command.

"Vincent called this morning and said he sent Shelke home. He wanted to stop in Nibelheim for something before he came back." Tifa explained, wiping some stray crumbs and pooled spills from the bar. Yuffie put on a pout. She was hoping Vincent would be back by nightfall. He'd been gone for weeks now, and it wasn't until Shelke offered to go out that they were able to locate him at all.

"He sure is takin' long enough." the young ninja whined, crossing her arms and turning slightly from the bar, "I mean, who does he think he is, leaving us here to worry like that? For all we knew, he coulda been-"

"-Yuffie." Tifa interrupted, shaking her head a little, "Vincent is...well, he's Vincent. Ensuring our sanity was never high on his to-do list. Besides, from what Shelke's told me...he has a lot to figure out. Things about himself and that Lucrecia. Give him time...he'll come around soon enough." Yuffie nodded this time, accepting her friend's advice. Tifa knew better than anyone what she was going through, what with the fact that Cloud had put her through more or less the same ordeal a year before.

"Thanks, Teef..." she muttered, but still sighed, "I just worry about him. I wish he would come home." her eyes were downcast, perhaps even tearful. Tifa was still shocked by the recent behavior of her young friend. The usually upbeat heiress to Wutai's throne had dimmed considerably over the past few weeks. She had helped keep the group together, but it seemed like the whole ordeal with Chaos and Omega had effectively torn her apart.

"I know, Yuffie, I know." Tifa sighed, "It shouldn't be too much longer, though." She smiled softly now, though there was a sadness in her eyes. "We're kinda in the same boat here, huh?" she sighed, propping herself up onto the bar and sitting there, legs crossed.

"Huh?" Yuffie responded, wiping her eyes a little, "how so?"

"I just mean...both of them are sort of...stuck on the past, you know? The two of us...we're both losing out to girls who aren't even alive any more." The younger woman's eyes widened now and she jumped up.

"Look, I don't feel that way about Vincent! I'm just pissed because I owe him a real talkin' to, and he ain't here to get it!" she yelled, eyes fierce but still holding some shock. How did Tifa know? The barmaid just shook her head, smiling a little.

"I'm no idiot, Yuffie, and it's plain as the nose on your face. You love him, whether you'll admit it or not. I know it, and so do you...the question is whether or not you want him to." Yuffie lowered her head, sitting again.

"I don't know. Like you said...he's more interested in Lucrecia than me." she let out a tiny sigh, "and I don't want to be made a fool of." she admitted. Tifa smiled softly, scooting closer and running her fingers through Yuffie's hair.

"Sometimes that's what it takes. If you ask me... I'd say telling him, even if he rejects you, is better than trying to keep the secret. It's better to know than to be unsure, having to walk on eggshells whenever he's around, keeping up your guard at all times, just to keep him from wondering. Then you get unnatural. You don't know what's safe to say and what'll give you away...and soon you can't stand being around him at all." she swallowed hard, her voice becoming progressively more silent, until now it was just above a whisper, "Then one day...you just give up any hope at all...and you don't even care if he knows any more, because you've expended so much effort and energy trying to hide it...that you just can't any more. And he knows. You know he knows...but he doesn't say anything, and it kills you. It kills you a little bit every day to know that, despite your best efforts, you have failed, and you're no closer to him now than you were to begin with." tears were sliding down her cheeks now as she pulled away, pushing herself from the table. Yuffie was absolutely speechless.

She knew about Tifa's feelings for her childhood friend. Most anyone who knew her could tell. However, Yuffie had no idea when it came to this outburst. Had Tifa really worked so hard to keep her feelings a secret from Cloud? But why? Cloud even admitted that he had joined SOLDIER in an attempt to impress her! What was it that had her so convinced that he would reject her?

"Tifa!" Yuffie whispered harshly, her own eyes burning with tears, "How could you let that happen? Why not just tell him?" she yelled, standing again. How could Tifa have hurt herself so badly? How had everyone gone without noticing? Tifa bowed her head, tears still falling silently.

"Because..." she whispered, her voice shaking, "Aeris was my friend. It wouldn't be right for me...to try...and steal his heart from her."

"Aeris is dead, Tifa!" Yuffie protested, her eyes harsh, "how can you live your life hiding your feelings for someone, because you don't wanna steal your dead friend's crush? They weren't even together!" the shouting apparently grabbed the attention of Nanaki, who now made an apperance returning from the street. He didn't say anything but looked at the two crying girls curiously.

"Dammit, Yuffie, you think I don't know that? What do you want me to do? I can't just tell him...not after all this time..." she shook her head, letting out a sob, "and I can't lose him again! I've learned that well enough when he left last year. I depend on him, regardless of how independent I like to make myself seem! I won't risk losing him again. Not over this."

"Not over love?" Nanaki chimed in now. "As painstaking as you made it out to be, one would think that you would do anything if it may ease your pain. However, continuing to harbor this secret is only making it worse for you. You're on the verge of breaking, and are, in fact, very lucky that you haven't thusfar. You're not a child, nor are you weak. You can make it on your own should he decide to leave, though I entirely believe that he is equally dependant on you. And have you even entertained the idea that, perhaps, Cloud feels for you as well?" Tifa couldn't respond for a long moment, still trying to regain her composure. She took a deep breath and looked first at Yuffie.

"Sure it's easy to condemn my actions...easy to say that the best path would simply be to voice my feelings, but what have you done? What are you still doing? You may think it's nothing now, but I promise you it will get worse, and that you will be hurt by it. Trust me, Yuffie, if I could give in and say it now, I would. But I can't." she turned to Nanaki now, "And your views come from observation alone. You have no idea what it's like to actually live it. You know what you do by watching others and eavesdropping on them. Your advice is even more worthless than hers." she now stepped out from behind the bar, her eyes pink and swollen, wet with fresh tears.

"And both of you...don't tell me what's best. Don't tell me why or how I'm stupid, or what horrible decisions I've made, because they were mine to make. All I wanted to do was give my friend advice, yet you had to turn it against me, twist it into accusations and so-called advice that will only break me. If you say I'm on the verge of destruction, then Cloud knowing how I feel would be pushing me past the brink."

It was now that a harsh, almost painful silence fell over the room, only interrupted by the front door clicking shut. The shouting and fighting had allowed one currently unwanted resident a chance to sneak in unnoticed.

"...how you feel...about what?" the young ex-SOLDIER asked, voice quiet and eyes glowing with concern. In a flash, he had been knocked aside and Tifa had dashed out the door, slamming it behind her. Cloud's eyes searched Yuffie's for an answer, the concern turning to a sort of fear.

"What the hell is going on?"


	2. Walk Away

((A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for all the kind reviews. 3 I haven't written in such a long times that you all seem to be new people, and I'm glad I can write in a way that interests people outside my old CloudxTifa fanbase. I hope I can keep updates coming quickly on this, but I'm about to start my senior year of high school, so I kinda expect things to be hectic...working on m portfolio and other school type stuff.

Also, on an off hand kinda after the fact note, I know everyone's very out of character. I'm so used to RPing with er...well, not exactally the Cloud that we see in the games/movies ;;;

Anyway, please enjoy chapter two!))

_You walked out that door_

_To fulfill your own selfish dreams_

_I think you might have forgotten..._

_----_

Four days had passed now since Tifa had disappeared. Shelke and Vincent's returns did little to help the situation, and Yuffie was in even more despair than she was previously over Vincent.

Everything seemed to have shifted. Now, every morning Yuffie would wake up, waiting by the phone for Cloud to check in, waiting to hear that he had located her friend and they would be home soon. That particular call still had yet to come, however.

Most of the messages from Cloud were brief, only stating that he'd seen no sign of her and heard just as little. Hope was slipping away from the young ninja, now charged with the running of the bar. She was too young for such a responsibility...to inexperienced. Not to mention the fact that without Tifa's cooking, the number of regulars returning grew smaller each night.

Calls for deliveries weren't coming in any more, either, as Cloud abandoned his projects to search for his childhood friend. The flow of income into the bar had, in just four days, come to a screeching halt, yet no one seemed to notice enough to try and change it.

The only thing any of them seemed to care about right now was finding Tifa. Vincent tried his best in assuring Yuffie that the woman would be fine. She'd taken care of herself long enough to know how to survive. His constant reassurances could never erase the painful, paranoid thoughts of Tifa laying cold on some street from Yuffie's mind.

Where the hell was she?

---

"I'm looking for a woman. She's young...in her mid twenties...beautiful. Long, brown hair...huge brown eyes...great body..."

"Aren't we all?" Cloud growled angrily at the older man's sarcastic response. Four days he'd been searching already, without a single lead as to Tifa's location. He'd been in and out of most every store, bar, and inn that Edge played home to, most of them twice. No one had so much as heard from her since she left. Cloud's nerves were about shot, the man a wreck inside and out. The initial worry and fear was begining to play host to paranoia and the frustration grew each time another resident or shopowner said they hadn't seen her.

At least when he was looking for Vincent, there were clues. Of course, people seemed to notice a scary looking man with piercing red eyes and a giant claw more than they did a young woman such as Tifa.

"Her name's Tifa Lockhart. She ran the Seventh Heaven bar." Cloud elaborated, leaning over the counter a little. He wasn't exceptionally large, but the sword he carried everywhere was, and he could be as intimidating as a giant. The shopkeep backed up a bit, shaking his head.

"Wish I knew where she was, bud." the man said quickly, his eyes holding a bit of fear now, "I heard she went missing...that some new girl's drivin' the bar right into the ground. I haven't even been back there...without Tifa's cookin' that place ain't nothin'..." Cloud sighed again. He'd heard the same from others. The best he could had was information he already knew.

"She ran off a few daws ago after she got in an argument with someone. None of us have heard from her..." he admitted, shaking his head. Yuffie and Nanaki both refused to let him in on what the conversation was about. All he knew for sure was that Tifa was crying and he was somehow involved. All he'd heard of the argument was "_Tell Cloud how you feel."_ Obviously it had something to do with him.

"Yeah? Well I hope ya find her. I miss them home-cooked meals." the man offered, looking sincerely troubled.

"Yeah." Cloud muttered softly, "I do too."

---

"What on earth's got a pretty girl like yerself stayin' in a place like this?" The elderly inkeeper was genuinely shocked to see a girl as young and beautiful as Tifa Lockhart requesting a room. It was a shock to see any visitors at all in the small mountain town, but someone so young? It was much more common to see, if anyone at all, an older couple vacationing. The entire village had become something of a secluded retirement spot. What could a girl like this be doing there?

"I grew up here." she explained softly, looking around a little. The town had changed drastically since she'd last been there. More houses had cropped up for one. Others were gone. The once tiny inn could now house at least a dozen people comfortably, and the pharmacy had expanded into something of a gift shop.

"That so?" the man asked, arching a brow. The town, to him, was something of an enigma. It wasn't an unheard of place, but for about two years not so long ago, it had more or less dropped off the face of the planet, quite literally. Of course, thanks to Shinra's information control, there were few still alive who remembered the intense flames that had once swallowed the town. The most the innkeeper knew of the tale was something concerning an old mako reactor nestled in the mountains, and that only because of a strange couple who had passed through days before. One claimed to be looking for something called Jenova. He, himself, knew little of this beast, other than that the war and near destruction of the planet that took place three years before had been named after the so-called Cetra.

"Yes. Unfortunately, my house seems to be gone..." there was a certain pain in Tifa's voice as she admitted this in a hushed voice. She could hardly believe when she'd arrived that her childhood home, along with the houses to either side of it, had been converted into a low-rise apartment complex. Nibelheim was nothing like it had been before, and it struck her much like a slap in the face.

"Sorry to hear that, miss." The old man said gruffly. Now his mind was on the mysterious visitors. He tried to remember exactally what those young women looked like, but all he could recall was a certain strangeness in their eyes. They seemed almost devoid of any emotion. Somehow...doll-like. The entire ordeal was a mystery to him.

"So, can I get a room?" Tifa interrupted his thought sharply. She needed more than anything to get the hell away from Edge... to get away from it all to a place where she could collect herself. The uncharacteristic outburst she experienced four days prior had mixed effects on her mental state. While it felt like part of a weight was lifted, the rest of the problem weighed down on her conciousness even more heavily.

She knew that her young friend had forced her into what she believed to be a long overdue crossroads. She wasn't ready to deal with this. She didn't have enough strength, energy, or confidence left to confront Cloud. Maybe being away would help her collect her thoughts and emotions...help her once and for all deal with this final demon. Or maybe she would find a way to forget completely about her responsibilites back in the small settlement. The bar, the customers, and her friends her friends, the ones she even called her family, they were all adding greatly to her weakening mental state. She couldn't even fake the optimistic smile any more. Worse yet, she couldn't seem to bring herself to care that she had just abandoned everyone and everything she cared about so much.

"Yeah, it'll be two hundred gil a night. Checkout's by noon. Not a minute later." Tifa nodded dully, her eyes becoming darkened, reminding him strangely of the girls from a few days before.

"Can I just have a key?" As soon as he handed her one, she turned instantly to the stairs, up to the room he had given her.

She reached the room, the very last one on the end. Unlike the well-decorated main lobby, the cramped little room was a dump. It would appear that there was no maid or cleaning person of any sort on his staff, and the room held the unmistakable odor of whiskey and cigars.

"You have got to be kidding me." she muttered, collapsing almost instantly onto the tiny, stiff bed. The bed had a certain distinct aroma as well, though there's probably little need to describe that one. While she had fully intended on taking some time to contemplate her situation and perhaps take a look around the renovated town, Tifa fell asleep just a few moments after she fell onto that rock-hard matress.

---

"Are you sure you'll be able to find her here?" The two women had easily made it through the Nibelheim mountains and now stood at the foot of the ruined reactor that was once home to Jenova. They had just left the mansion outside the village, which played host to any and all remaining files concerning the project. The woman who spoke had the most brilliant green eyes that one had ever seen. Perhaps it was the mako that ran through her veins rather than blood. Or maybe it was simply an attempt to increase her likeness to the one who had inspired her form. Chestnut locks outlined the perfectly shaped face, and even as she spoke to her companion, her expression never changed. Her eyes remained completely magnificent and completely empty.

"Rufus said this was the place." the other girl returned. Her eyes, though a pale blue-grey, had the same glowing tone and disturbing emptiness, "And he said she may have migrated back to the Northern Crater. The main objective here...destruction. Survivors are migrating back, and there is still information that needs to be destroyed should the project be expected to succeed." Her lips curled into a strange smile. The blank eyes provided for a most disturbing expression whenever her mouth attempted one.

"Well then..." the first mirrored her smirk, "Let's hurry with this..." she let out a small, evil laugh, "...before we burn the place to the ground."

---

Although she fell asleep so quickly, the guilt was already eating at Tifa and plauged her dreams.

When she finally woke, it was dark outisde and the clock on the bedside table read _12:24_. She laid back down to sleep again, but her mind refused to rest. She tought of Yuffie, and how much she must have upset her. She probably scared the girl out of ever admitting her feelings to Vincent as well.

Then there was Cloud. She'd heard rumors of his search from nearly the moment she left. She could still recall the dumbfounded look on his face for that split moment that thier eyes met before she fled. It wasn't fair to Cloud most of all. After she'd forced him for so long to stay by her side, she left him without a word, and it seemed that he was at least worried enough to have searched for her over the next two nights she had spent in Edge. It was only fair that she let him know she was okay.

She pulled the phone from her pocket and turned it on. He wouldn't answer, she knew, he never did. In fact, his phone was never even turned on unless he was at home, and then only to check his messages.

She dialed the number, a sudden nervous feeling creeping up on her as she heard the first ring. What the hell was she supposed to say? She shook her head a little, blinking hard to clear the sleep from her eyes. As awake as her mind might have been, her body was about to collapse.

A second ring. _Strange, _She thought, _He never has his phone on_.

A third ring, this time interrupted now by her childhood friend's eager voice.

"TIFA?"

_The ones that you love._

_The ones that you left behind._

_The ones who said they'd try to find_

_They'd try to find you._

_-Walk Away, Dropkick Murphys_

A/N: there! I finally have a second chapter. D I know it skips around a lot, but there wasn't much other than some small bits of set-up that I wanted to do with this chapter. Please continue with the kind reviews. You all spur me on! -


	3. Destruction

((A/N- So, I finally got around to updating this one! -" I really love this story, so I'm gonna try to keep it going. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys. It keeps me going, so review more if you want me to write more! hehe))

Tifa nearly dropped the phone at his voice. Since when did Cloud answer his phone? Her intention was to leave a message, but now he had answered. She could just hang up, but then the calls would begin again- one after another, until she'd be forced to turn the phone off. She was the one who called in the first place…she had to take responsibility for that decision.

"Cloud…" she whispered now, blinking. She didn't have anything to say to him. What the hell was she supposed to say to him?

"Tifa!" his voice was loud and she could sense something in it that she'd never recognized in his voice before. Could it have been fear? "Where the hell are you? What's going on? You just left like that…"

"Stop." She said softly, but it was enough to halt his questions, "I'm in Nibelheim. Just for a little while…" he was speaking again as soon as she took another pause, but she hardly heard it. He sounded so concerned…so nervous. Could it really have been because of her actions?

"When are you coming home? What's going on, Teef? What is it that everyone else knows?" He remained silent for a long moment now, hoping for an answer. When she didn't provide one he continued, "at least tell me if you're okay. Are you safe? You're not hurt, are you?" his tone was softer now, the concern more evident than ever.

"I'm safe." She said softly, staring at the floorboards. The room was quiet and cold, the windows worn and letting a cold breeze in. She shivered and fumbled with the blanket on the bed, wrapping herself partly in it.

"Good." Cloud finally responded, "Where in Nibelheim are you?" he asked now.

"I can't tell you that." She responded almost instantly this time.

"What! Why not?" he demanded. She let out a small sigh.

"You'll come after me."

"I'm doing that anyway, I'd just appreciate it if you'd make it easier for me!" Tifa's eyes widened and she stood now.

"NO! Don't come here!"

"Why do you hate me?" She became silent now, the words hitting her hard. Did he really think she felt that way? It did occur to her at this point, though, that one might feel that way.

"I don't hate you."

"Then tell me where you are." She panicked now. What was she supposed to do? Her fingers trembled. She didn't want Cloud to think that she hated him, but she couldn't tell him just where she was either. So she hung up.

The phone was ringing almost the second she did so, but she ignored it. She'd already given him more information than she ever intended to. He wasn't supposed to know where she was. She knew he'd come…she didn't want him there. The only reason she'd run was to get a little time away from him, away from everyone. And now…

She switched off the phone and tossed it into the drawer of the bedside table.

"Damn it." She muttered, looking over at the alarm clock. It was only about half past twelve. There was no point in staying awake now. She let out another sigh and let herself fall back onto the bed, tugging the blankets over her head and clenching her eyes shut. Just a few hours of peace, that was all she asked.

* * *

"Did you find it?" The reactor was falling apart from the inside, it seemed. The once gleaming surfaces were now rusting, corroding harshly over time. It seemed as though all the life had left the place at once, and all that was left was an empty, decrepit shell.

"Of course." The green-eyed woman's companion held up a pair of mini-discs before slipping them into the pocket of her crisp lab coat.

"Doctor Crescent!" She responded with glee, a smile on her face in contrast with the emptiness of her emerald eyes, "Amazing! Now we can get out of this place, right?" The younger of the two had been waiting in the room crowded with mako chambers while her elder went into the room once housing Jenova, searching for the crucial files- the ones now nestled safely in her pocket.

"The reactor, yes. But don't forget, we're not done here." She responded, taking the lead and beginning out of the metallic maze, "We have another mission."

"I know." The girl chimed cheerily, racing behind, "Destroy Nibelheim…again." She batted her eyelashes and gave her most charming smile, "Oh, please let me do the honors, Lucrecia."

Lucrecia stopped at the door to the reactor, turning back to the woman. She looked her over. The long, flowing chestnut hair…innocent, yet inexplicably empty green eyes…even the simple pink dress with a darker vest…everything about her conveyed innocence. It was truly hard to believe that a girl with such an image had a desire to wreak such havoc.

"As you wish, my dear Aeris." She responded, "I'll have my own fun in Edge." The girl cried out in glee at this and wrapped her arms tightly around her friend.

"You won't regret it." She smiled almost seductively now, "You shouldn't judge a girl by her smile." At this point she detached herself and took the lead again, "I can do just as much damage as anyone else."

* * *

Tifa awoke with a start.

There was a dull roaring outside that she couldn't quite place, and a strange flickering of light in the window above her bed. It was neither of these, however, that woke her from the deep, dreamless sleep.

It was the choking, pungent aroma of fire and smoke, and an unnatural heat that she could feel all around her. She looked around quickly, shooting up in her bed. Already a deep panic was stealing over her senses.

"There you are." The shock was deepened tenfold when she saw, standing in the doorway, a figure she'd never expected to see again. Not because of her flight from Edge, or her argument with friends. Not because she'd lost contact with them when she left Nibelheim, or any other plausible reason. It was because the woman in the doorway was dead. She knew it to be true, because she watched her die. She watched Sephiroth's blade plunge into her…watched, in horror, as the life seeped out of her.

"Aeris?" she was choking not only on the word, but also on the smoke that was now rising in the room. Yet, her departed friend seemed to take no notice. There was something different about her, she could tell even in her moment of shock; something… unnatural, and not just the fact that she was alive.

"We've been looking for you." She continued, walking into the room. Lucrecia followed, her expression disturbingly blank. Tifa looked from one woman to the other. She didn't recognize the doctor, but felt a vague familiarity.

"What's going on?" Tifa demanded now. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. Yet she felt her throat burning as well as her eyes, tears spilling from her eyes. Weren't dreams supposed to be painless?

"Clueless as always, my friend." The deceased flower girl's lips curled into a smile as she approached Tifa. She approached her within inches, so close that under any less extraordinary circumstances, Tifa would have surely noticed that she hadn't taken a single breath.

"Just take the girl." Lucrecia said sharply now, irritation evident in her voice, "We haven't much time, and Rufus wants her alive." She reminded the woman, tapping her foot impatiently. Aeris let out a disappointed sigh as Tifa stammered, trying to make sense of what was happening to her.

"As you wish." She said dully, turning back to Tifa. It was now that she recognized the complete and utter lack of emotion in the eyes staring back at hers. Her own eyes shot open when she felt the icy hand gripping around her neck.

Aeris brought her face close to Tifa's, so that they were touching cheek to cheek. Her skin was so cold, she couldn't have truly been alive Tifa was sure. She was beginning to tremble now, her eyes shooting from side to side, trying to seek an escape. It was too late now, and she became completely still as Aeris whispered harshly into her ear, "_Sleep."_

* * *

"Don't you think you should just stay here? She obviously wants to be alone…" Yuffie was following Cloud back and forth as he shoved clothes into a small pack. He had spoken to Tifa only minutes before. She didn't ask him, but listened well enough to the conversation to know that her friend didn't want him there.

"I don't care." Cloud grunted, forcing the zipper on the bag shut. "I want to get to the bottom of this, and since you're not being any help, I have to get it from the source." He explained briefly, grabbing up the bag and pushing past the young ninja and heading downstairs.

"She just wants some time away." Yuffie countered, a slight whine to her voice. It wasn't fair that he could run of whenever he wanted, but if Tifa needed just a few days, he was trailing her like a hound. Now that she was sure her friend was safe, she knew that Cloud had no place going after her.

"I promised her I wouldn't leave again." He said gruffly, heading for the front door now. He stopped for a moment with his hand on the knob, "And I fully intend to keep my word."

A light drizzle was starting to fall as he finally mounted Fenrir. He'd but a lot into that bike. Of course, around now he was starting to wish that maybe he'd put at least a little bit of that time into his relationship with Tifa.

He slipped his goggles on and rode off quickly, barely noticing how harshly even such a light rain stung his otherwise bare face.

What had happened in the past few weeks that had distanced him so greatly from his childhood friend? He was sure their relationship was growing up until that point. He returned home after his battle with Kadaj, promising at once that he wouldn't abandon his family again.

It wasn't too long before Barret returned, taking Marlene and Denzel with him. He said there were huge oil fields outside of Corel- a wealth of untapped energy that could keep the planet going mako free for centuries to come. He was supervising the project, a tough job to be sure, but one that was safe enough to bring his daughter back home. Neither he nor Cloud and Tifa could stand the thought of the two children being separated after they had grown so close, so Denzel was gone as well.

He was afraid, at first, that things would be awkward between the two when the children left. They had grown into a tight-knit family, and he was almost entirely certain that the departure would break them apart.

However, they became closer than ever- working hard together to keep the bar going, more successful even than its predecessor in the now-ruined Midgar. It went that way for months, each day seemingly better than the last.

Then remembered just a few weeks ago, as they sat together on the outskirts of Edge, a few hundred yards away from the Highwind, gazing upwards into the raging sky, certain it was the end. He remembered perfectly the warmth he felt when she was in his arms; the way she clung to him as they gazed into the war-torn heavens, not knowing what to expect, or even what they should have been hoping for.

And now, she was running out in tears without a word to him, leaving for their childhood home and refusing even to speak with him for more than a few moments. His thoughts plagued him for the remainder of his journey. He racked his brain, trying to see every possible aspect of the case.

What was had he done to upset her so much? More importantly, how was he going to fix it?

His thoughts were caught short as Fenrir screeched to a halt. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at what was supposed to be his destination. His hometown, the place where he'd last heard from Tifa, drowning in flames. He didn't think twice before tossing the bike aside and rushing into the fiery mess. The potential danger didn't even faze him. There was only one thing on his mind now- Tifa's safety.


	4. Found and Lost

((The title of this story should be changed to "Cloti4ever's triumphant return to the world of fanfiction"! XD Just kiddinnng. Anyways, I know it seems like I never update this and like I'll never finish it, but I like this story quite a bit and am looking forward to completing this. I'm a little reluctant to bring in Genesis and/or Angeal, but after seeing the secret ending of Dirge, I can hardly help myself. Maybe I'll rewrite after Crisis Core comes out. Or not. Anyway, here we go! CHAPTAH FOUR, BITCHEZZ))

The first thing Tifa realized when she woke was that she was still alive. Pain seared through her right arm, which she soon realized to have been badly burned at some point during the fire. The second thing she realized was that perhaps life and death were something entirely different than she'd thought them to be. After all, it was her once rival, long deceased friend Aeris Gainsborough who appeared at her bedside along with the first choking signs of smoke.

"…You. You're Tifa Lockhart. Am I right?" her perceptions damaged again at the voice that reached her from across the room. She lay on a stiff, cool metal table in the middle of a rather empty white room. A flickering fluorescent light buzzed overhead, giving the room an increasingly more eerie feel.

"Who…" was all she could manage, struggling to sit up on the table. The voice rang with a vague familiarity. She had heard the light, melodic voice before, though she couldn't even begin to place it.

"My name? Let's not worry about that for now." The voice was getting closer, and soon the young man hovered over her. A pair of glowing gray eyes met hers and she felt a warm hand wrap around her shoulder, helping her into a more upright position.

"I…know you…" her mind was in a deep fog, but the almost nostalgic feeling was deepening. The man hoisted himself onto the table next to her, his full face coming into view. Messy raven-black hair fell across his forehead and spilled down to the man's shoulders. His cheek was scarred with a deep x-shaped mark, his lips curling into a small smile.

"You do. Rather, you did…" he said, and the smile broke into a grin now. With this grin, everything finally clicked into his mind.

"…Zack…" she whispered finally, her eyes widening. Zack Fair…the Soldier after whom Cloud had modeled himself years before, "You're…. Zack. Cloud's friend." She elaborated, her voice slow and quiet, barely above a mumble. Cloud spoke of him rarely, but she still remembered how highly he held the First Class Soldier. She also remembered that, if Cloud's memories were correct, this was yet another man who should be dead.

"Righto." Zack answered with a smile, "And I'm sure you're probably thinkin' a million things right now. 'Specially since it seems like they sent one of those damn bots after you…" confusion masked Tifa's expression, but he went on, "Anyway, I can't answer all your questions, but I'll give it a go…" he paused, looking toward the doorway, leading to a dimly lit hall, "... But first, we gotta get you outta here." He scooted closer, wrapping his strong arms around her and lifting her easily as he stood.

"W-wait…aren't you…?"

"Dead?" Zack finished before she could, "Like I said…there's a lot to be explained. I just don't have the time yet. Now just hold on tight, before we get caught."

* * *

"WHAT!?" Yuffie fell backwards into the booth, her hands trembling wildly. Her eyes burnt with tears and breath seemed to escape her suddenly. Fear, pain, regret, loss, pure misery, none of these could properly explain the feeling that took hold of her when Cloud's voice reached her.

"I'm sorry." she heard him repeat through the phone, his voice barely recognizable. If she were in her right mind, Yuffie would've noticed the uncharacteristic shaking in his voice, uncertainty in his town, tears in his eyes, pain in his heart. She would've realized that he was feeling now the same thing she was, and the same thing he had felt only a couple years ago.

"Are…are you sure? I mean, you said there was a fire…maybe she escaped…" Yuffie's mind raced, and already denial took hold. Tifa was her constant, closest, best friend for the past three years. Now, however, without a warning, she was gone? She could not accept this.

"Yuffie…" he whispered, his voice rough, "The entire town…it was torched…there wasn't a trace left. I don't know…it was so fast…I tried to find her…but everyone….they were all already…" his voice broke and Yuffie heard a sob. This was all it took to truly break the young ninja down. The phone fell from her hands to the floor and Yuffie crumpled forward onto the table, losing herself to the tears.

It wasn't long before her head was pounding, eyes were burning and aching, and entire body ready to collapse upon itself and implode into nothingness. However, this despair was soon interrupted by the opening of the bar's main door.

"Yuffie?" A small, meek voice reached out towards her, and she heard the footsteps of the small woman heading her way, "Yuffie, what's wrong!?" the red-haired girl demanded, taking a seat next to her.

Of all people who might have come to her aid at that moment, Shelke Rui was the least welcome of all. At the same time, the animosity Yuffie silently felt towards the girl was gone, at least for the moment, as she pulled her head up.

"It's Tifa…" she sobbed, "she's gone, Shelke…" her voice trembled as badly as her body, "…Cloud called…an' he said… he said…" she broke into sobs again. Shelke leaned in awkwardly, running her hand down the girl's back in an attempt to comfort her. She didn't speak, though a chill ran down her spine from the next words that came out of Yuffie's mouth.

"Cloud went to Nibelheim to find her…. but the town…it was burnt. Everything destroyed…completely torched…Shelke, she's _dead_. Tifa is _dead._"

* * *

"…Cloud?" the young mercenary started at the sound of his name, his head shooting up as he turned to look at the source. Standing no more than a yard away from him was Vincent Valentine. His mind ached as he tried to fit together why Vincent was there, whether he was looking for him, and how he could have found him so quickly.

"…Vincent…" he muttered, voice little more than a rasp. The first rays of morning sun were beginning to slip over the nearby mountains, casting a soft light across the scorched remains of Cloud's childhood hometown. Beyond them stood the Shinra Mansion, barely touched by the flames.

"What happened here?" Vincent asked now, taking a seat next to him. Though he would never let it show, the idea of Cloud broken down as he was set of a million alarms in the ex-Turk's head.

"I don't really know." Cloud muttered in monotone. When was the last time he so completely lost emotion this way? Never had he been hit so hard. Never had it been so damn unexpected.

"…Whom did it happen to?" Vincent asked now. What else could've sent the man into such a sudden state of despair but the loss of another friend? He tensed, already anticipating the answer.

"Do you really have to ask?" he returned, swallowing hard. His eyes were fixed on the grass in front of him, knees hugged tightly to his chest, "What the fuck was there left of me to take but her?" he whispered, tears returning to his eyes.

"Tifa." Vincent stated, to earn a cringe from Cloud. What was Tifa doing in Nibelheim in the first place? And without Cloud immediately at her side? While it wasn't his strongest point, even Vincent had enough tact not to question him on these. Rather, he asked, "Who did this?"

"I don't know." Cloud returned, licking his cracked lips, "not yet, at least." He hoisted himself to his feet now, staring down into Vincent's eyes, "But I'm gonna find out." His voice shook, still devoid of emotion, "There's no way I'm gonna let this go." The anger that was beginning to shine through actually calmed Vincent. Cloud was not lost. Not just yet.

"No. I would expect not."

((Nyahh! Short chapter, short chapter, tra la la! I just wanted to get a little bit in on everyone's whereabouts. Next few chapters will be getting more in-depth with each of our main viewpoints (Those being Tifa/Zack, Yuffie/Shelke, Cloud/Vincent). Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter despite the shortness.

Reviews are love, yah? Leave me some, cha!))


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